c 

VluX 


CORNELL  UNIVERSITY 


Problems  of  the  Graduate  School 

AN  INFORMAL  REPORT  BY  THE  DEAN, 
TO  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  FACULTY 


1916 


PRESS   OF 

The  new  Era  printing  Company 
Lancaster,  pa. 


I  beg  to  present  to  the  members  of  the  Faculty  the  following 
discussion  of  certain  questions  relating  to  the  Graduate  School : 

Graduate  and  Undergraduate  Instruction 
The  Faculty  of  the  Graduate  School  is  made  up  of  teachers  who 
are  also  members  of  other  Faculties.  The  greater  number  of  them 
devote  a  large  proportion  of  their  time  to  the  instruction  of  under- 
graduate students,  and  to  the  administration  of  departments  which 
are  organized  primarily  for  undergraduate  work.  As  this  side  of 
the  university  work  makes  the  greatest  demands  upon  the  time  of 
teachers,  and  as  it  concerns  a  larger  number  of  students  and  bulks 
most  prominently  in  the  public  eye,  it  is  likely  to  become  almost  the 
exclusive  interest,  and  to  encroach  upon  the  interests  represented 
by  the  Graduate  School.  The  efficiency  of  graduate  work  is  in 
danger  when  the  majority  of  the  teachers  who  carry  it  on  conceive 
of  their  first  duty  to  the  university  in  terms  of  undergraduate 
instruction.  Under  such  circumstances,  scholarship  and  investi- 
gation tend  to  be  neglected,  and  the  instruction  of  graduates  is 
likely  to  be  assimilated  to  that  of  undergraduates.  One  must  of 
course  recognize  that  the  condition  of  affairs  which  I  have  described, 
in  so  far  as  it  exists,  is  in  large  measure  the  result  of  the  situation 
in  which  the  teachers  of  this  University,  in  common  with  their  col- 
leagues in  many  other  universities,  find  themselves,  through  the 
burdens  imposed  by  the  demands  of  the  rapidly  increasing  body  of 
students.  But  it  is  essential  not  only  for  the  interests  of  the  Grad- 
uate School,  but  also  for  the  life  of  the  University  as  a  whole,  that 
there  shall  be  a  considerable  number  of  teachers  who  can  refuse  to  be 
swamped  by  elementary  instruction,  and  to  whom  the  work  of  pro- 
moting scholarship  and  carrying  on  research  shall  be  primary  and 
not  secondary  and  incidental.  It  is  necessary  to  take  every  oppor- 
tunity of  bringing  to  the  attention  of  the  President  and  Trustees 
the  claims  of  graduate  work;  but  it  is  also  incumbent  upon  us,  as 
members  of  the  Graduate  School,  to  urge  these  claims  upon  our- 
selves, and  to  insist  on  giving  to  this  work  the  place  that  rightly 
belongs  to  it  in  the  University. 

In  establishing  the  Graduate  School,  the  Faculty  adopted  certain 
principles  which  serve  to  differentiate  the  spirit  and  procedure  of 
graduate  work  from   those  of   the  undergraduate  colleges.     The 

3 


fundamental  idea  is  the  freedom  and  the  responsibility  of  the 
student.  Graduate  work,  it  is  stated,  is  not  a  matter  of  courses 
or  of  the  performance  of  routine  tasks,  but  involves  the  develop- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  student,  working  with  the  advice  and  the 
assistance  of  members  of  the  faculty,  of  independent  scholarship 
and  power  of  research.  This  clear  formulation  of  principles  has 
continued  to  influence  the  theory  and  practice  of  graduate  work  in 
this  university;  and  even  when  its  terms  were  not  completely 
realized  in  practise  it  has  furnished  most  valuable  guidance  as  indi- 
cating the  ideal  to  be  attained.  We  may  well  congratulate  our- 
selves upon  the  wisdom  of  the  men  who  laid  down  this  most  liberal 
and  fruitful  doctrine  as  the  fundamental  article  of  our  creed. 

My  reasons  for  referring  to  this  subject  are  two.  In  the  first 
place,  a  considerable  number  of  those  who  are  now  members  of  the 
Faculty  were  not  in  the  University  at  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the  Graduate  School.  It  seems  desirable,  therefore,  to  call 
their  attention  to  the  principles  which  are  presupposed  in  its  con- 
stitution. In  the  second  place,  the  fact  that  we  are  so  beset  and 
burdened  with  elementary  instruction  may  lead  to  one  of  two 
opposite  tendencies  with  regard  to  graduate  work.  That  is,  it 
may  lead  us  to  the  habit  of  letting  graduate  work  largely  take  care 
of  itself,  of  failing  to  find  time  to  give  the  desirable  amount  of 
guidance  and  supervision  to  those  whose  work  we  have  undertaken 
to  supervise.  Or,  on  the  other  hand,  in  our  anxiety  to  do  our 
duty  by  our  graduate  students,  we  may  sometimes  be  tempted  to 
carry  over  and  apply  to  them  the  rules  and  regulations  of  under- 
graduate administration.  Of  these  two  extremes,  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  the  latter  procedure  is  the  worst,  in  the  sense  that  it  is 
likely  to  lead  in  the  long  run  to  the  most  unfortunate  consequences. 
With  regard  to  the  first  tendency,  that  of  failing  to  give  the  proper 
advice  and  direction,  it  does  not  seem  that  the  plea  of  the  lack  of 
time  is  a  valid  excuse.  As  I  understand  the  matter,  participation 
on  graduate  work  is  voluntary:  no  one  is  compelled  to  become  a 
member  of  any  students  special  committee.  But  when  one  has 
once  consented  to  serve,  one  thereby  assumes  certain  responsibilities 
both  to  the  student  and  to  the  University. 

The  Dean  recognizes  that  it  is  impossible  to  give  any  specific 
directions  as  to  how  to  avoid  the  Scylla  and  Charybdis  of  graduate 
work  to  which  he  has  referred.  Our  method  of  procedure  throws 
the  responsibility  of  working  out  his  own  method  upon  the  indi- 


vidual  teacher.  But  he  feels  justified  in  calling  attention  to  these 
dangers  in  our  practice,  and  in  suggesting  that  the  principles  adopted 
at  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  Graduate  School  should  be 
recognized  by  each  individual  as  the  compass  and  rule  in  dealing 
with  his  own  problems.  Negatively,  it  is  obvious  that  the  things 
to  be  avoided,  and  the  things  to  which  the  very  virtues  on  which 
we  especially  pride  ourselves  as  instructors  of  undergraduates  may 
render  us  especially  subject,  are,  on  the  one  hand,  the  neglect  of 
graduate  students,  and,  on  the  other,  the  schoolmastering  of  them. 
On  the  one  hand,  graduate  students  should  not  be  accepted 
in  any  field  where  organized  instruction  of  a  graduate  character 
is  not  provided.  To  accept  membership  on  the  special  committee 
of  a  candidate  for  an  advanced  degree  is  to  guarantee  to  the  student 
that  adequate  provision  for  instruction  either  already  exists  or  will 
be  at  once  provided  in  this  field.  Where  such  provision  does  not 
exist,  attention  should  be  called  to  the  fact  that  it  is  lacking.  But 
it  is  a  mistake  to  go  on,  and  profess  to  do  graduate  work  without 
making  any  provision  for  instruction  in  the  way  of  advanced  courses, 
seminaries,  or  regularly  organized  conferences.  A  properly  organ- 
ized graduate  school  should  be  able  to  do  something  more  for  a 
student  than  to  assign  to  him  a  'problem'  for  investigation.  It 
should  be  remembered  that  the  purpose  of  graduate  work  in  a  uni- 
versity is  not  to  train  special  investigators  in  a  narrow  sense,  but 
to  furnish  education  for  scholars  and  scientists.  There  is  a  constant 
tendency,  especially  among  students  and  teachers  in  the  newer  ex- 
perimental sciences,  to  regard  the  major  and  minor  subjects  for  the 
doctorate  as  identical  with  certain  'problems'  or  special  investi- 
gations. These  'investigations'  are  definite  pieces  of  work  that 
seem  to  have  a  fixed  terminus;  for  students  often  report  to  the  Dean 
that  they  'have  finished  their  major,'  or  'got  off  their  minor  sub- 
ject,' sometimes  adding  criticism  of  the  'red-tape,'  which  compels 
them  to  remain  longer  to  fulfil  their  residence  requirement  after 
'all  their  work  is  completed.'  It  is  evident  that  this  indicates  a 
fundamentally  different  conception  of  graduate  work  on  the  part 
of  the  students,  and  also,  I  think,  on  the  part  of  the  members  of 
the  Special  Committee  who  have  been  in  charge  of  their  work,  from 
that  which  I  had  supposed  to  be  generally  accepted  among  us.  I 
have  always  assumed  that  each  of  the  subjects  specified  as  a  '  major  ' 
or  '  minor '  for  an  advanced  degree  was  intended  to  be  represented 
by  some  broad  field  of  knowledge  which  has  been  somewhat  defin- 


itely  organized  as  a  science,  in  the  inclusive  sense  of  that  term, 
with  well-established  facts  and  principles  of  method  capable  of 
furnishing  to  the  student  training  in  thinking  and  guidance  in 
investigation.  Moreover,  I  have  assumed  that  the  candidate  for 
the  doctorate  was  to  carry  on  his  studies  in  these  fields  in  a  broad 
and  liberal  spirit,  trying  not  merely  to  work  out  some  isolated 
problem,  but  through  his  studies  and  investigations  to  educate 
himself  and  gain  orientation  in  his  science — to  come  to  understand 
something  of  its  underlying  principles,  of  its  history,  and  of  its 
relation  to  other  sciences,  and  to  human  society.  If  any  such 
view  as  this  is  to  be  accepted,  the  idea  that  the  major  and  minor 
subjects  are  certain  definite  tasks  or  'problems'  must  be  at  once 
discarded.  It  is  necessary  that  the  student  should  get  a  different 
point  of  view,  that  he  should  come  to  envisage  his  undertaking  and 
his  own  responsibilities  in  a  new  way.  But  breadth  of  view  and 
comprehensiveness  in  scholarship  are  not  likely  to  be  attained  if 
the  student  is  left  without  opportunity  for  systematic  instruction, 
to  pick  up  his  training  as  best  he  may.  The  kind  of  instruction 
needed  is  of  course  not  identical  with  that  generally  furnished  to 
undergraduates :  it  should  never  be  something  prescribed  or  imposed 
in  dogmatic  form.  It  should  be  recognized,  however,. that  in  order 
to  attain  the  best  results  graduate  students  need  instruction  to 
impress  upon  them  the  necessity  of  exactness  and  accuracy  of 
scholarship,  to  stimulate  them  to  a  consideration  of  the  principles 
and  hypotheses  upon  which  the  sciences  in  which  they  are  engaged 
rest,  to  suggest  to  them  certain  broader  relationships, — historical, 
logical,  social, — between  various  fields  of  study,  to  eliminate  the 
natural  dogmatism  that  so  easily  brings  investigation  to  a  close; 
and,  in  general,  to  furnish  direction  and  stimulus  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  spirit  of  intelligence  and  inquiry.  If  instruction  of  this 
character  cannot  for  any  reason  be  provided  in  any  particular 
subject,  then  it  would  seem  advisable  that  at  least  work  for  the 
doctor's  degree  should  not  be  undertaken  in  this  field. 

In  connection  with  what  has  been  said  in  the  foregoing  para- 
graph, it  may  be  added  that  the  point  of  view,  the  way  of  thinking 
and  talking  of  such  subjects  by  students  and  members  of  the 
Faculty,  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  world  in  aim  and  purpose 
and  general  educational  attitude.  Legislation  is  of  itself  not  suffi- 
cient to  ensure  uniformity  of  standards  and  of  practice:  it  is  neces- 
sary also  to  try  to  secure  some  agreement  in  regard  to  the  under- 


lying  educational  aims.  Last  year  one  of  our  colleagues  pointed 
out  in  a  meeting  of  the  Faculty  the  need  of  attempting  to  reach 
common  ways  of  thinking  in  regard  to  graduate  work,  by  the  dis- 
cussion of  general  principles  from  time  to  time  in  meetings  of  the 
Faculty  and  of  the  Groups.  I  believe  that  this  is  a  matter  of  the 
utmost  importance.  Without  some  common  point  of  view  there  is 
no  basis  for  cooperation,  or  any  hope  of  approximating  to  a  uniform 
standard  in  our  graduate  work.  There  is  a  tendency  to  think  of 
discussion  as  vain  and  fruitless  if  it  does  not  lead  up  to  legislation, 
and  of  meetings  of  the  Faculty  as  a  waste  of  time  which  do  not 
show  on  their  minutes  a  record  of  motions  passed  as  evidence  that 
*  something  practical  has  been  done/  On  the  contrary,  I  am  in- 
clined to  believe  that  we  have  too  much  legislation  and  too  little 
real  discussion — that  is,  too  little  cooperative  thinking  and  com- 
parison of  views  on  fundamental  questions. 

Instructors  and  Assistants  as  Graduate  Students 
Of  the  482  graduate  students  registered  during  the  academic 
year  1915-1916,  232,  or  about  forty-eight  per  cent.,  also  held 
appointments  as  members  of  the  Instructing  Staff.  It  is  obvious 
that  this  arrangement,  by  which  the  same  individual  may  be  at 
once  officially  both  a  teacher  and  a  student,  gives  rise  to  a  good 
many  educational  problems.  To  some  of  these  I  have  referred  in 
my  Report  to  the  President  of  this  year.  From  the  point  of  view 
of  the  Graduate  School,  the  main  question  would  seem  to  be  this: 
What  is  the  effect  upon  the  student  of  being  obliged  to  devote 
a  considerable  proportion  of  his  time  to  elementary  teaching,  or 
to  reading  examination  papers?  Does  it  not  tend  to  occupy  his 
time  and  distract  his  mind  so  that  he  is  less  likely  to  become  genu- 
inely absorbed  in  his  own  studies  and  researches?  There  are  a 
good  many  sides  to  the  question,  and  of  course  there  is  in  favor  of 
our  present  practice  the  argument  of  necessity — a  double  necessity, 
it  may  be:  necessity  that  the  University  shall  be  able  to  fill  these 
positions  at  the  salaries  it  can  afford  to  pay,  and  the  necessity  on 
the  part  of  the  men  that  they  shall  be  able  to  support  themselves 
while  carrying  on  their  graduate  studies.  But  it  is  a  mistake  to 
accept  the  argument  from  necessity  as  sufficient  and  final.  One  may 
be  willing  to  recognize  that  in  many  cases  some  such  necessity  exists, 
and  yet  see  the  disadvantages  and  dangers  of  the  system.  Of  course 
it  is  always  true  that  much  depends  upon  the  individual ;  and  much 
depends  too  upon  the  atmosphere  of  the  department  or  division  of 


8 

the  university  in  which  the  graduate  student  received  his  appoint- 
ment. But,  as  a  general  principle,  it  would  appear  that  it  is  better 
for  the  student  not  to  have  his  time  consumed  and  his  interest 
diverted  by  the  duties  that  belong  to  a  position  as  Instructor  or 
Assistant.  The  same  danger  exists  for  the  student  that  has  already 
been  mentioned  with  reference  to  members  of  the  Faculty,  the 
danger  that  the  work  connected  with  undergraduate  instruction 
will  occupy  the  chief  place,  and  that  the  development  of  scholar- 
ship and  research  will  become  secondary  and  incidental.  And  of 
course  the  loss  under  these  circumstances  is  doubled  and  accent- 
uated, if  it  happens,  as  it  may  happen,  that  for  neither  the  candi- 
date for  an  advanced  degree  nor  for  the  teacher  who  is  directing  his 
work  is  it  possible  to  make  graduate  study  the  main,  or  even  an 
important,  interest.  Under  these  circumstances  it  is  obvious  that 
candidacy  for  an  advanced  degree  should  not  be  undertaken. 

It  seems  to  me,  accordingly,  that  as  a  general  rule  it  is  a  mistake 
for  a  graduate  student  to  accept  an  appointment  to  a  position  on 
the  Instructing  Staff,  unless  such  an  appointment  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  enable  him  to  continue  his  studies.  And  even  then 
he  should  be  certain  that  the  duties  of  his  position  will  really  afford 
him  the  opportunity  which  he  desires.  Where  the  appointment  is 
regarded  as  strictly  necessary,  the  student  should  be  made  to 
understand  that  only  by  a  special  effort  and  special  zeal  on  his 
part  will  he  be  able  profitably  to  continue  his  graduate  studies. 
The  additional  time  demanded  of  candidates  for  advanced  degrees 
who  hold  such  appointments  is  not  in  itself  sufficient  to  offset  the 
disadvantages  under  which  they  must  carry  on  their  work.  Not 
only  additional  time,  but  also  greater  ability  and  effort  are  neces- 
sary to  enable  a  student  who  is  at  the  same  time  occupied  with 
the  work  of  instruction,  to  devote  himself  with  the  enthusiasm  that 
belongs  to  an  undivided  mind  to  the  work  of  investigation  and  to 
the  discipline  of  independent  scholarship. 

Advanced  Professional  Degrees 
The  problems  of  what  degrees  should  be  given  by  a  Graduate 
School  may  appear  to  be  a  formal  matter  of  secondary  importance. 
The  question  seems  to  me,  however,  to  have  certain  bearings  that 
make  it  worth  considering.  At  the  present  time  seven  different 
masters'  degrees  are  given  by  Cornell  University:  Master  of  Arts, 
Master  of  Science  in  Agriculture,  Master  of  Mechanical  Engineering, 


Master  of  Civil  Engineering,  Master  of  Architecture,  Master  in 
Forestry,  and  Master  in  Landscape  Design.  As  is  evident,  all  of 
these  except  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  are  professional  degrees. 
And  if  other  colleges  or  schools  are  created  in  the  future,  such  as 
the  proposed  College  of  Commerce,  the  number  of  these  pro- 
fessional degrees  is  likely  to  be  increased.  It  seems  worth  raising 
the  question  whether  these  professional  degrees  should  continue 
to  be  given  by  the  Graduate  School,  and  whether  the  work  leading 
up  to  them  can  best  be  carried  on  under  the  supervision  of  its 
Faculty.  This  is  of  course  a  large  question,  and  it  is  not  recom- 
mended that  any  change  should  be  made  without  the  most  careful 
consideration  of  all  relevant  arguments.  But  logically  it  would 
seem  that  in  the  Graduate  School  the  distinctions  between  the 
various  colleges  and  divisions  of  the  University  which  have  been 
organized  for  the  promotion  of  professional  studies,  should  cease 
to  exist.  These  distinctions  have  significance  only,  as  it  were, 
on  a  lower  plane.  It  would  seem  that  the  Graduate  School  should 
not  be  concerned  with  professional  training  or  professional  degrees, 
but  that  its  function  should  be  to  occupy  itself  with  science  and  the 
promotion  of  scholarship,  making  no  distinction  between  one 
field  of  study  and  another  so  long  as  the  same  standards  are 
maintained. 

While  there  has  never  been,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  any  serious 
administrative  difficulty  in  regard  to  these  professional  degrees, 
it  should  be  recognized  that  under  our  present  system,  the  Faculty 
of  the  Graduate  School  has  not  an  undivided  control  of  the  con- 
ditions under  which  they  are  conferred.  In  all  cases,  candidacy  for 
these  degrees  is  conditioned,  not  upon  general  training,  or  upon 
the  preparation  of  the  candidate  which  is  necessary  for  him  to 
carry  on  graduate  work  successfully  in  the  particular  studies  which 
he  wishes  to  undertake,  but  upon  the  possession  of  a  professional 
degree  which  is  recognized  as  the  equivalent  of  that  given  by  one 
of  our  professional  colleges.  And  in  the  case  of  the  Master  of 
Forestry,  and  that  of  Master  in  Landscape  Design,  there  is  a  some- 
what definite  requirement  in  terms  of  a  more  or  less  definitely  fixed 
curriculum.  The  same,  I  assume,  will  be  the  case  if  the  proposal 
to  confer  the  degree  of  Master  of  Commerce  shall  in  the  future  go 
into  effect. 

I  have  at  present  no  recommendation  to  make  in  regard  to 
this  general  question,  except  to  recommend  it  for  consideration. 


IO 

It  is  clear  that  it  would  greatly  simplify  matters  for  the  Graduate 
School  to  cease  giving  these  professional  Masters*  degrees,  and  to 
offer  in  their  place  the  degree  of  Master  of  Science.  Irrespective 
of  the  decision  which  may  be  reached  on  this  point,  however,  I 
believe  that  it  is  desirable  at  an  early  date  to  ask  the  Trustees  to 
establish  the  degree  of  Master  of  Science.  If  this  were  done,  we 
should  then  have  two  non-professional  masters*  degrees,  Master 
of  Arts  and  Master  of  Science.  In  many  cases  the  latter  degree 
is  much  more  appropriate  than  the  former,  and  is  frequently  pre- 
ferred by  students.  Moreover,  it  appears  likely  that,  even  if  the 
Faculty  of  the  Graduate  School  did  not  cease  to  confer  professional 
degrees,  the  degree  of  Master  of  Science  would  oftentimes  be  pre- 
ferred by  the  class  of  students  who  are  now  candidates  for  these 
degrees.  At  any  rate,  a  number  of  men  actually  make  application 
for  graduate  work  each  year,  who  have  the  general  training  and  the 
special  equipment  for  the  work  which  they  wish  to  pursue  (which  is 
generally  investigation  in  some  field  connected  with  one  of  the 
professional  colleges) ,  and  yet  they  are  excluded  from  the  professional 
Master's  degree  by  the  fact  that  they  are  unable  to  show  in  detail 
that  their  first  degree  is  the  equivalent  of  the  corresponding  first 
degree  at  Cornell  University.  In  such  cases  these  students  either 
do  not  enter  the  Graduate  School  at  all,  or  are  given  a  standing  by 
being  admitted  as  candidates  for  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts, 
which  at  the  present  time  is  the  only  Masters'  degree  which  is  not 
hedged  about  with  restrictions  from  external  sources.  The  degree 
of  Master  of  Science  would,  however,  be  more  appropriate  in  the 
majority  of  these  cases,  and  would  usually  be  preferred  by  the 
candidates. 

Opportunities  for  Becoming  Acquainted  with  the  Work  of 
the  Graduate  School  as  a  Whole 
We  have  a  rule  which  requires  that  the  thesis  of  a  candidate 
for  an  advanced  degree  shall  be  deposited  in  the  office  of  the  Gradu- 
ate School  at  least  five  days  before  the  date  set  for  examination. 
One  purpose  of  this  rule  is  to  ensure  the  completion  of  the  thesis 
and  its  presentation  in  satisfactory  form  before  the  holding  of  the 
examination.  But  the  rule  is  also  meant  to  provide  an  opportunity 
for  members  of  the  Faculty  to  inspect  theses  from  other  depart- 
ments, and  thus  to  obtain  some  idea  of  the  work  that  is  being  done 
and  the  standards  that  prevail  in  the  various  parts  of  the  Uni- 


II 

versity.  I  am  glad  to  report  that  a  good  many  members  of  the 
Faculty  have  this  year  availed  themselves  of  this  opportunity. 
There  are  several  advantages  in  this  practice,  which  it  is  to  be 
hoped  will  be  adopted  still  more  generally.  In  the  first  place,  if 
it  is  understood  that  the  theses  are  to  be  inspected  by  members  of 
the  Faculty  when  they  are  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Graduate  School, 
this  fact  is  likely  both  to  stimulate  the  student  to  greater  effort 
and  care  in  his  investigation  and  form  of  presentation,  and  also  to 
exert  an  influence  upon  the  standards  and  demands  of  the  Special 
Committees  who  pass  upon  the  work  of  candidates  for  advanced 
degrees.  And,  secondly,  inspection  of  the  theses  on  file  in  the 
Dean's  office  is  not  only  an  excellent  means  of  acquainting  oneself 
with  the  work  going  on  in  different  divisions  of  the  University,  but 
also  of  gaining  some  idea  of  the  general  standards  maintained  in 
the  theses  of  candidates  for  advanced  degrees. 

It  is  of  course  impossible  to  obtain  any  rigidly  uniform  standard 
by  which  to  measure  the  quality  of  scholarly  work,  especially  in  a 
University  where  so  many  and  so  various  subjects  are  represented. 
But  some  degree  of  uniformity  is  something  towards  which  we 
should  endeavor  to  approximate:  it  is  not  desirable  that  each 
department  or  division  of  the  University  should  set  its  own  stand- 
ards quite  irrespective  of  the  others.  The  organization  of  the 
Graduate  School  provides  various  means  of  comparing  ideas  and 
standards.  In  addition  to  the  opportunity  offered  to  each  member 
of  the  Faculty  of  examining  the  theses  presented  for  advanced 
degrees,  all  examinations  for  these  degrees  are  public,  and  the 
Faculty  has  recommended  that  its  members  should  endeavor  when- 
ever possible  to  attend  examinations  held  in  the  Group  to  which 
they  belong.  If  these  provisions  (as  well  as  Faculty  meetings, 
Group  meetings,  etc.),  are  left  to  rust  unused,  we  shall  fail  to  gain 
the  breadth  of  view  that  comes  from  comparison  of  different  stand- 
points, and  shall  tend  to  dissolve  into  a  number  of  individual  or 
departmental  centers,  each  going  its  own  way  as  if  the  others  did 
not  exist.  We  shall  lose  also  the  stimulus  and  encouragement  that 
results  from  esprit  de  corps,  the  feeling  of  working  with  others  in  a 
common  cause,  with  appreciation,  and  at  least  some  degree  of  under- 
standing, of  what  they  are  doing. 

It  seems  desirable  that  members  of  the  Faculty  should  know 
when  a  thesis  of  especial  merit  has  been  produced  in  any  division 
of  the  Graduate  School.     The  news  of  pieces  of  work  which  are 


12 

in  a  special  sense  contributions  to  knowledge,  and  which  bring 
honor  and  recognition  to  the  department  and  the  University,  as 
well  as  to  the  graduate  student,  should  be  known  to  all,  as  it 
would  be  a  source  of  pride  and  encouragement  to  all.  At  pres- 
ent one  hears  of  such  work  only  by  accident,  if  one  hears  at  all. 
It  is  unfortunate  not  to  know  that  from  time  to  time  work  of  great 
distinction  is  being  done  by  our  graduate  students.  The  "  Alumni 
News"  for  July,  1916,  stated  that  Raymond  H.  Kennedy  was 
awarded  the  Fellowship  of  the  American  Academy  at  Rome,  of 
the  value  of  $1000  for  three  years.  It  was  not  stated,  however, 
that  the  work  which  gained  for  him  this  appointment  was  that 
presented  as  a  thesis  for  the  degree  of  Master  of  Architecture. 
In  the  same  number  of  the  " Alumni  News"  one  reads  that  H.  S. 
Kirchberger  and  G.  L.  Kaufman  were  awarded  the  prizes  of  the 
Paris  Society  of  Beaux- Arts;  but  there  is  no  mention  of  the  fact 
that  the  work  which  was  so  distinguished  was  also  done  as  theses 
for  the  same  degree.  Twice  in  recent  years  the  prize  of  the  Ameri- 
can Historical  Association  has  been  awarded  to  monographs  pre- 
sented to  this  Faculty  as  theses  for  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Phi- 
losophy. The  Dean  has  heard  reports  of  other  theses  that  have 
gained  especial  recognition ;  and  doubtless  there  are  many  specially 
valuable  pieces  of  work  of  which  he  has  no  knowledge.  Is  there  not 
some  way  of  reporting  and  making  known  such  important  news, 
both  that  we  may  not  fail  to  know  and  recognize  a  good  man  when 
we  see  him,  and  also  that  we  may  not  lose  the  stimulus  and  en- 
couragement of  knowing  that  work  of  great  value  and  importance 
is  being  done  amongst  us? 

A  Qualifying  Examination  for  the  Doctorate 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Faculty  on  Feb.  18th,  a  motion  to  require 
a  series  of  qualifying  of  examinations  of  candidates  for  the  doctorate 
approximately  a  year  before  the  time  at  which  the  final  examina- 
tion is  to  be  held,  was  after  some  discussion  laid  upon  the  table. 
As  this  proposal  was  endorsed  in  principle  by  the  General  Com- 
mittee, and  by  Group  B,  and  as  it  was  not  very  fully  discussed  in 
the  meeting  of  the  Faculty,  it  seems  desirable  that  during  the 
coming  year  it  should  be  taken  from  the  table  and  further  con- 
sidered. It  is  worthy  of  note  that  a  similar  requirement  to  that 
proposed  is  in  force  at  Harvard,  Yale,  Columbia,  and  Illinois. 


13 

Legislation  of  the  Faculty 
The  faculty  held  six  meetings  during  the  academic  year  1915- 
1916,  including  the  brief  meeting  held  on  June  19th  for  the  recom- 
mendation  of   candidates   for   advanced   degrees.     The   following 
resolutions  sum  up  the  main  legislation  of  the  year: 

October  22d,  191 5. 

That  the  Dean  be  instructed  to  present  to  the  Treasurer  a 
list  of  those  who  have  met  the  academic  qualifications  for  advanced 
degrees,  with  the  request  that  the  names  of  all  whose  dues  have 
not  been  paid  be  reported  to  the  Dean,  and  that  the  Dean  be  further 
instructed  to  omit  the  names  of  all  such  persons  from  the  printed 
list  of  candidates  submitted  to  the  Faculty. 

That  Professor  Lane  Cooper  be  appointed  chairman  of  the 
Editorial  Committee  for  a  term  of  three  years. 

November  26th,  191 5. 

That  it  is  desirable  to  make  greater  provision  for  graduate 
work  in  the  Summer  Session  than  has  been  done  in  the  past. 

That  hereafter  no  thesis  shall  be  accepted  from  a  candidate 
for  an  advanced  degree  until  it  shall  have  been  approved  in  writing 
by  a  majority  of  the  members  of  his  special  committee.  (At  the 
meeting  of  February  18th,  1916,  the  Faculty  voted  to  reconsider 
this  decision,  but  after  discussion  the  former  action  was  reaffirmed.) 

February  18th,  1916. 

That  residence  during  two  sessions  of  the  Third  Term  shall  be 
accepted  as  fulfilling  the  residence  requirements  for  the  Master's 
degree. 

That  the  wording  of  the  rule  relating  to  the  printing  of  theses 
for  the  doctorate  be  changed  so  as  to  provide  that  the  printed 
thesis  should  have  both  a  cover  and  a  title  page,  and  that  the 
title  page  should  contain  a  printed  statement  that  the  thesis  is 
presented  to  the  Faculty  of  the  Graduate  School  for  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Philosophy. 

March  29th,  1916. 

That  in  case  a  special  committee  is  equally  divided  upon  the 
question  of  accepting  a  thesis,  this  fact  should  be  reported  to  the 
Dean,  and  by  the  Dean  to  the  General  Committee  for  such  action 
as  it  may  seem  desirable  to  take  under  the  circumstances. 


14 

That  it  is  undesirable  to  change  our  present  policy  of  refusing 
to  give  credit  toward  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy  for  work 
done  in  the  Summer  Session. 

That  the  selection  of  major  and  minor  subjects  from  more 
diverse  fields  that  is  now  usual  is  desirable  and  to  be  encouraged. 

May  25,  iqi6. 

That  the  Faculty  except  for  a  period  of  four  years  from  this  date 
the  Graduate  Scholarship  in  Veterinary  Medicine  from  the  opera- 
tion of  the  rule  requiring  that  all  holders  of  graduate  scholarships 
shall  be  elegible  to  candidacy  for  an  advanced  degree. 

That  when  the  major  subject  for  the  doctorate  is  selected  from 
the  applied  sciences  it  is  desirable  as  a  general  principle  that  the 
pure  sciences  most  directly  involved  should  be  chosen  as  minor 
subjects. 

That  when  a  member  of  the  Faculty  of  the  Graduate  School  is 
to  be  absent  from  the  University  on  leave  for  a  year  or  term,  he  is 
requested  to  inform  the  Dean  of  his  intended  absence,  and  to 
nominate  to  him  some  colleague  or  colleagues  to  act  on  the  special 
committee  or  committees  of  which  he  may  be  a  member.  In 
cases  where  no  such  nominations  are  made,  the  Dean  is  authorized 
to  fill  vacancies  on  special  committees  by  appropriate  appoint- 
ments. The  member  added  to  the  special  committee  to  take  the 
place  of  another  member  on  leave  may  remain  a  permanent  member 
of  the  committee.  But  nothing  in  the  foregoing  provision  shall  be 
construed  to  limit  the  right  of  a  candidate  for  an  advanced  degree 
to  change  the  membership  of  his  committee. 

That  the  question  of  electing  a  Committee  of  Conference  to 
consult  from  time  to  time  with  the  standing  committees  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  be  made  a  special  order  for  a  meeting  to  be 
held  early  in  the  next  academic  year. 

The  General  Committee 
The  General  Committee  of  the  Graduate  School  was  during 
the  year  constituted  as  follows: — Professors  Ernest  Blaker,  A.  T. 
Kerr,  W.  A.  Riley,  D.  Reddick,  W.  F.  Willcox  (elected  by  the 
Faculty);  and  Professors  W.  D.  Bancroft  (Group  C),  C.  E.  Bennett 
(Group  A),  B.  F.  Kingsbury  (Group  D),  H.  A.  Sill  (Group  B), 
W.  M.  Sawdon  (Group  E),  from  the  Groups,  with  the  Dean  as 
chairman.      In  May  Professors  Kerr  and  Willcox  retired  and  the 


i5 

Faculty  elected  as  their  successors  Professors  Ernest  Merritt  and 
Nathaniel  Schmidt,  and  Professor  W.  H.  Chandler  was  elected  by 
Group  D  to  succeed  Professor  Kingsbury. 

The  Committee  held  fifteen  meetings  between  Commencement 
1 91 5  and  Commencement  of  this  year.  Among  the  more  important 
questions  which  came  before  the  Committee  during  the  present  year 
was  that  of  the  best  mode  of  procedure  in  dealing  with  subjects 
proposed  for  the  first  time  as  proper  major  or  minor  subjects  for 
an  advanced  degree.  The  Committee  assumed  that  it  is  not  the 
desire  of  the  Faculty  that  any  and  every  subject  proposed  should 
be  accepted  without  consideration  and  due  authorization.  The 
method  adopted  was  to  invite  representatives  of  the  subjects  under 
discussion  to  meet  with  the  Committee  in  conference.  The  results 
of  such  conferences  were,  I  feel  confident,  helpful  to  the  members 
of  the  Committee,  since  it  enabled  them  better  to  understand  the 
work  of  departments  which  have  hitherto  been  unrepresented  in 
the  Graduate  School,  and  also  of  advantage  to  the  representatives 
of  these  departments  in  affording  them  an  opportunity  of  discussing 
with  the  members  of  the  Committee  the  standards  and  requirements 
of  graduate  work.  The  same  method  of  conference  was  adopted  in 
cases  where  it  seemed  desirable  to  consider  the  distribution  of  major 
and  minor  subjects  proposed  by  candidates  for  advanced  degrees, 
and  these  conferences,  I  believe,  were  also  mutually  instructive  and 
conducive  to  the  attainment  of  satisfactory  working  principles. 

A  good  deal  of  the  time  of  the  Committee  was  also  spent  in  the 
consideration  of  special  cases,  and  especially  in  the  consideration 
of  requests  for  the  waiving  of  the  rule  requiring  candidates  for  the 
doctorate  to  furnish  a  certificate  from  the  members  of  their  special 
committee  not  later  than  the  beginning  of  their  second  year  of 
graduate  work  that  they  have  a  reading  knowledge  of  French  and 
German.  This  is  the  most  difficult  of  all  the  requirements  to. 
enforce,  particularly  as  members  of  a  student's  special  committee 
are  frequently  willing  to  endorse  the  request  for  an  extension  of 
time,  and  sometimes  to  certify  that  these  languages  are  not  essential 
to  the  successful  continuance  of  the  student's  graduate  work.  The 
practice  which  the  Committee  has  this  year  come  to  adopt  is  to 
grant  requests  for  an  extension  of  time  where  such  requests  seemed 
to  be  supported  by  reasons,  but  at  the  same  time  to  inform  the 
candidate  that  until  the  requirement  is  met  his  residence  credit 
towards  the  degree  will  be  reduced  to  one  half  the  amount  to  which 


3  0112  105622804 


i6 


he  would  otherwise  be  entitled  in  cases  where  the  requirement 
had  been  met  in  regard  to  neither  language,  and  to  three  quarters 
of  the  same  amount  where  the  deficiency  was  only  in  one  language. 

Statistics 

The  statistics  for  the  year  are  given  in  the  Report  of  the  Graduate 
School  submitted  to  the  President,  published  as  an  appendix  to  the 
President's  annual  Report  to  the  Trustees.  In  the  same  place  will 
be  found  a  discussion  of  several  matters  which  are  not  touched 
upon  here,  particularly  of  the  needs  of  the  Graduate  School  and  its 
claims  to  support  from  the  Trustees  of  the  University.  The  total 
number  of  students  was  482  for  the  academic  year  1915-16,  and  147 
during  the  summer  of  1915,  making  a  total  of  629.  This  is  a  total 
increase  of  107,  being  an  increase  of  92  for  the  academic  year,  and 
of  15  for  the  summer.  99  advanced  degrees  were  granted  during 
the  year,  34  Doctors  of  Philosophy,  26  Masters  of  Arts,  15  Masters 
of  Science  in  Agriculture,  6  Masters  of  Mechanical  Engineering,  4 
Masters  of  Civil  Engineering,  4  Masters  of  Architecture,  7  Masters 
in  Forestry,  and  3  Masters  in  Landscape  Design. 

During  the  summer  of  1916,  213  students  have  enrolled  in  the 
Graduate  School.  This  registration  was  distributed  as  follows: 
Third  Term,  128 ;  Summer  Session,  55 ;  Under  Personal  Direction,  30. 

J.  E.  Creighton. 

Cornell  University, 
September,  1916. 


